software engineer

application developer

quality assurance engineer

sales manager

hardware design engineer

Extron Electronics

Overall management and HR see employees as potential threats, not assets, so employees are constantly worried.  I worked for the Project Management team. Be aware of the supervisor of this team. She’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing. My experience is only limited to her. The rest of the people I worked with were great. There are a lot of politics here and they promote a closed communication relationship. There’s a lack of trust in this company and definitely not a place for career growth. They don’t really have innovative solutions nor do they foster a culture of innovations.  
 I had an extremely pleasant experience working here for the first eight months or so. My manager, the manager of Engineering Project Managers  told me how great I was doing and all of a sudden, she turned around and changed.  I had several encounters in which, she raised her voice, and treated me in a non-professional way.  She ended up taking me to HR, where we establish that I am to
1) Not leave my desk for anything other than restroom or meetings
2) Not have a meeting or talk to anyone in management without he presence or knowledge 
3) Check with her and make sure she's aware when I have conflicting meetings, even when one is more important than the other 
4)Say Yes to whatever she wants 

Here is just ONE encounter I had with her: 
Met with the manager . She verbally attacked me.
I asked whether or not I should have a meeting for two projects’ integration. She opened up the meeting notice and in a very offensive, elevated tone, asked me why I had so many directors involved in that meeting. I explained to her that one of the directors was the PM for that project, the other had been upset in the past for not being involved  and wanted me to include him on all meeting notices that had to do with that project and the third I did not invite, but rather his employee forwarded the meeting notice to him.

In an elevated tone, she told me that protocol is if I invite one director, I invite others and that’s the reason why a director was upset in the past. (This company is top heavy, this statement means I’d have to invite at least 15 people! ) Then she attacked me at a personal level and asked me why one specific PD director was invited. Before I could even respond she was interrupting me. She said “I don’t care, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?” In a very abusive, unprofessional tone. I tried several times to respond to her to make her understand why I had invited the PD Director, who had happened to be the Product Manager for the specific product. She interrupted me every time saying “No see , no buts, you do what I say” . Those were her words. I finally got up and drew a picture for her on the board with the names on circles and their roles, it was then that she understood that one particular individual was part of PD and not Engineering and therefore we needed his counterpart on the other program, The PM , in the meeting. She said “I didn’t realize the individual was PD” and continued on ..
 
In the same meeting, she verbally abused me for leaving a meeting early. I explained to her that as a team (project) we had decided that I was going to attend the meeting for the first half and ask the team if they had anything for me and if not, leave. She said she does not want any of her project managers leaving meetings early and I was being rude. She then went on to say that “I don’t care if …. (THE PD Director) thinks something is too technical and decides to leave, you work for me and you stay”
After the fact, I asked a co-worker for her input, since she was in that meeting . She said “ She can be like that, we all know it. We all used to that.” 
To work in a company where employees are used to being abused is no fun and no one should go through it.  
 


When conflict was going on, I decided to use it as an opportunity for growth. The specific manager, made my life  living hell for that month or two duration. It got to the point that I would start my day with a great attitude and the closer I got to work , the sadder I would get. 
I highly recommend you to stay away from this team.

I enjoyed working here, you were given time to work on what you were doing, and made sure you did it right. I was able to spend many hours researching and studying my field to better round myself for the job i was doing. My direct co-worker was invaluable to my success. Helpful, knowledgable and willing to help me every time i had a question. I couldn't have asked for a better co-worker

Management didn't treat me with dignity. I had a Director stop by my desk a couple of weeks ago to tell me i was doing a good job, and that he "wanted more skilled people like myself." Fast forward a couple of weeks, I was offered a job that required a clearance, but I declined the original job title they offered. ( I did not apply for this job while working at Extron). I told my boss about it, how I had no desire to change fields which they were offering, but I was advised by my Investigator to go through the process and finish out the Clearance since it was being sponsored. My boss told me he would give me the time off to go check it out, I requested the time off and after my 3 days off the day I returned, I told my boss it went well and that I declined their offer of wanting me to come back for more assessments in 2 weeks. Couple hours later my boss randomly asked me to follow him to a room where HR was sitting there. I assumed this was my performance review, since I was on month 5 or 6 of my probationary period! awesome! My boss told me in a shaky voice "your skills aren't good enough, we need to let you go." ....i was on month 5 and i've never once been told, sat down, counseled or talked to saying my abilities were a problem for this entry level position. A Director told me weeks ago he wanted more skilled people like myself in my department. I wasn't give 2 weeks, asked to work on certain areas they claim i lacked in, nothing. If it were because of my abilities it would have been a problem on week 2 or 3, not something on month 5.

In short, even though I was told it was no big deal to go get assessed for a Clearance, and given the time off, once I returned this was the reason I was let go. I spoke to a Director who told me they probably thought I was going to take the job, even though I said I wasn't, and HR told them to say it was due to my technical abilities - which if were true, I would not have been hearing about it for a first time after month 5 of 6 of my probationary period. Before I even made it home, I had several employees reach out to me in shock on what had happened, and to say what Extron did to me was wrong and dirty, that this changed their opinion on the department I worked for.

I made the unfortunate mistake of working at Extron in the 2001. I remember how happy I was to get a job after being unemployed for a few months and making what I thought was a decent wage.

The interview process was not too bad...the young woman who interviewed me was pleasant...I guess I got lucky compared to some others' experiences with HR. The products that they make are top-notch in quality, but there is no love for the employees.

Then the training...everyone, and I mean EVERYONE has to learn how to do some wiring, learn about electronics, etc. It's long, tedious, lasts for about two months, and you are recorded the entire time. Yes, they video record each session to see if you are paying attention, are engaged (asking questions), etc. and will approach you if they see "something".

I recall how there were about 50 of us at the beginning of our training...each week, there were a few less people. Little did I know that their employment policy is a revolving door....people come, are hired, and then let go within three months. By the time I finished my training sessions, there were only about 10 or 12 of us left. Very demoralizing, yet it also makes you feel like you are a survivor, and if you can get through that, you can get through anything.

It is absolutely true about having to ask for permission to use the restroom. If you want to take a break, you cannot do so at your desk. Even if you are a salaried employee, you still need to clock in and out, and will be reprimanded if your are late, even if you work late.

When I completed my assignments, I had to endure three or four layers of management to review my work, each of which would make changes. In the end, my work would be changed back to it's original state.

I too was let go after three months, and I couldn't be happier. Hardly anyone smiled, HR was feared, if you smoke (which I don't) you can't even smoke across the street, you have to take a physical which includes running prior to being hired. I'm surprised that people were proud to say that they have worked there for years...I guess they wear that as a badge of courage.

So, if you want to feel like a valued employee and appreciated for the good work that you do, DO NOT work at Extron. If you are a robot, immune to the lack of interpersonal communication, or are one paycheck away from being homeless, than take your chance and work for Extron. I would rather work three jobs than work at Extron.

It is really unfortunate that I have to write such a negative review about this company. However, the truth needs to be said that this is not a company I would ever recommend to anyone.

First, Human Resources rules with an iron fist at this company. Normally, when you go for an interview, you apply and interview with HR first, right? Not here. Depending on the position you are applying for, you interview with your manager first. If you are an engineer, better set aside at least 3-4 hours because you will go through multiple interviews. After interviewing with the manager(s), your last and final interview is with HR. It doesn’t matter if everyone you interviewed with likes you and thinks you would do great, if HR finds a hair out of place, they won’t hire you. Yes, you just spent all that time for an HR manager who you probably won’t ever see or talk much to just throw up a red flag and say “not a fit.” The sad part is that because HR has way too much power, not even the VP of Engineering will challenge their decision. If you do make it pass, you will quickly notice how scared everyone is of HR. When they walk into a building 9/10 times someone is about to be “let go.” You will see everyone scatter like cockroaches. They also have what I like to refer to as “moles.” These are people who will literally walk around and see what people are doing at their desk, who they are talking to, etc. HR has also been known to drive around the parking lot to see who is doing what in the parking lot.

Second, there is no training. After now working for a company that requires training for all employees, I see how much of a difference this can make. Do not expect for anyone show you anything.

The best way to survive working here is to keep to yourself and let HR intimidate you. Those who do not let intimidation get the best of them are eventually let go.

Extron exhibits at over 60 tradeshows worldwide every year, from small conferences to large scaled Las Vegas mega shows. My typical day at Extron would consist of attending pre-show meetings to go over concepts and designs, production times, and shipping dates. Our tradeshow signage department responsible of designing and producing all signage for our US, Europe, and Asia offices consist of only myself. This requires me to careful balance out my schedule to meet all signage needs around our offices worldwide. Along with designing and producing signage I also am our company signage installer which requires me to install large wall graphics and vinyl decals to our tradeshow booth (see website for videos). Our signage department also became responsible for company training event signs which requires posters and display signs on a weekly basis. Extron Electronics recently opened a new restaurant at it's Anaheim, CA office headquarters. Periodically the restaurants needs events posters mounted and t-shirt designs which is also part of my job duties, it is safe to say I keep busy on a daily basis. Meeting with vendors is important for me to make sure the quality of our signs is high and pricing is competitive with other vendors in our area. Although this may seem or sound like a ton on one persons plate I find that planning and communicating makes the job easier and the shows a success.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Some of the technology was interesting to work with, and there were minimal opportunities to learn—along with moments where you'd be told the customer doesn’t know what they’re talking about.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The most stressful part was navigating unclear role expectations and needing to frame user feedback in a way that made leadership feel empowered, rather than just sharing it directly or transparently.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The environment brings in talented individuals with the promise of impact, but the culture quickly shifts to a top-down structure where you're expected to execute a manager’s vision rather than contribute your own. Team dynamics often prioritize process adherence over delivering meaningful user outcomes or driving innovation.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
A typical day involves trying to align with leadership’s expectations, which are often unclear and not openly communicated. You’re expected to arrive at the 'right' approach on your own, but without room for trial, error, or learning through failure. Collaboration can be contentious at times, with professionalism varying across teams and throughout the hierarchy.

Some people in management/supervisors are completely backwards thinking: Intentionally placing people in job positions/tasks that are opposite to what they are skilled in or are adept and interested in working on; These managers/supervisors are "hoping" that that approach makes the individual what they consider "well-rounded," when all it does it create confusion and mis-management of resources in what people can and should be doing best. 

Management/Supervisors tend to get rid of talented/skilled individuals and instead keep people who are not skilled and throw people on projects that are entirely not part of their educational/training/work background, again "hoping," that they just all of a sudden wake up someday knowing how to do someone elses job that has nothing to do with what they can and should be doing instead.

Supervisors pay too much attention to "In queue," when theres already so much in progress that requires workers time and attention. And rather than providing the worker the time they need to complete a task well, they stress them and ruin their focus with so many abstract "in queue" made-up issues that have no bearing on what is currently going on.

This company gradually got worse over the last 10 years. Over the last 5 years it turned into a nightmare. The managers are abusive and are incompetent. It was mandatory to work 8.5 hours a day, whether it was needed or not, just so the head of the department can look good on paper. if you were short as little as a minute you would be RED FLAGGED. Morale was low through out the company. Anyone with real talent did not last long. HR has all the power and there has been a very high turn over rate. Take any positive review of Extron with a grain of salt. Management plants positive reviews to discredit the reality of whats going on there stated by the negative reviews. Unfair treatment of employees by management and HR. If you really want to know if these negative reviews are accurate, then seek a job with Extron and it won't take long before you experience all the negatives that Extron dishes out. This is why real talent doesn't stick around for very long.

Working at Extron Electronics requires very precise time management as each employee is tasked with multiple projects ending on varying dates. Projects can range from QA testing, to technician oversight, to automation testing and program design. 

Overall while working at Extron I have taught myself a great deal of coding languages and have increased my productivity and time management skills. Looking closely to details while testing audio and video equipment to prepare for customer shipment is the main task each team is assigned to.

The hardest part of the job is being able to complete multiple large projects, while working/communicating with teams from different buildings all without having to extend due dates. Because each team member must work with departments such as Product Development, Engineering, Software Development and other QA teams, time management is a must.

The most enjoyable part of the job is how well all the teams get along with each other and how easy it is to talk to everyone in the office. It is hard to find a workplace that promotes this type of diversity and employee engagement.

Making salaried employees clock in and out daily even for lunch breaks was a little archaic. Mandatory Holiday luncheon was a nice gesture for the only business report from upper management. But as the company grew, it became more of a chore than an event.
No meaningful raises over the years I worked there although the EOY business report was always rosy and business was always growing.
Business seemed to flounder after the owner became more interested in the success of the lower floor restaurant in the HQ building than running the AV business. 
Aside from that, the AV equipment is top notch, although the equipment has a very dated appearance. Software systems lower the value for todays modern tech savvy AV technicians lowering Extron's place to more of the "Chevy" class of get the job done with reliability and few frills, rather than the "Cadillac" class of reliability, design and all the bells and whistles.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Software engineer 7 salaries reported	$107,387 per year
Application developer 5 salaries reported	$79,430 per year
Quality assurance engineer 1 salary reported	$71,000 per year
Sales manager 12 salaries reported	$121,285 per year
Hardware design engineer 7 salaries reported	$119,286 per year

Working at Extron Electronics: Company Overview and Reviews

Extron Electronics

Extron Electronics Ratings

Popular jobs at Extron Electronics

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected